According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, the Enterprise-B was launched from Starfleet's Antares Ship Yards. The Technical Manual further explained that: "'Although the decision to model [the Enterprise-B] on the failed original experimental Excelsior was at the time controversial, the economics of using the existing (and otherwise successful) engineering of the basic spaceframe were compelling.'"

In less than a decade, the Excelsior design underwent a second, more significant overhaul, as introduced with the launch of the Enterprise-B. While remaining true to the original configuration, several modifications to the basic hull design were made, including the addition of a second pair of impulse engines, expanded scoop surrounding the deflector dish, and the addition and removal of a number of fins located on the saucer and nacelles. (Star Trek Generations; DS9: "Paradise Lost")

Tactical systems

The original Excelsior design was outfitted with 5 dual phaser emplacements on the forward saucer section, and one dual emplacement on the aft of the saucer. Phaser emplacements were also positioned laterally, located port and starboard, near the point that the primary and secondary hulls meet, as well as one emplacement located between the nacelles. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek Generationsproduction art, DS9: "Paradise Lost", etc.)

With the impending threat of the Dominion against the Federation, Starfleet began to experiment, in 2372, with performing a refit on the Excelsior-class USS Lakota. Upgrades included improved phaser emplacements, quantum torpedoes, and other improvements to make the ship competitive with such ship designs as the Template:ShipClass. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia, "'although it was never made clear on film, it is generally assumed that the transwarp drive being tested in Star Trek III was a failure, and that the ship was later outfitted with a more conventional warp drive. The Excelsior's bridge control panels and computer readout displays seen in Star Trek VI tend to support this theory'"

It was theorized by the Star Trek Chronology that this ship-wide systems failure might have been the one referenced to by Data when he mentioned no Federation vessel having such a problem in over 80 years in TNG: "Evolution".

On page 14 of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, it was stated that "'while the attempt to surpass the primary warp field efficiency barrier with the Transwarp Development Project in the early 2280s proved unsuccessful, the pioneering achievements in warp power generation and field coil design eventually led to the uprated Excelsior and Template:ShipClass starships. Both vessels served Starfleet in exemplary fashion. They continue to do so, even beyond their original lifetimes."

Although several references were made to various Excelsior-class vessels traveling at "maximum warp" or "high warp", the maximum speed was never established. The only submittable reference comes from a line cut from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country that indicated Sulu ordering the Excelsior to warp 9 to get to Khitomer in time. In "Paradise Lost" Miles O'Brien was concerned about the potential "tinkering" that may have been "done to [the Lakota's] warp drive," when considering alternative options to combating the the Lakota. For reference, the maximum known speed of the Defiant was warp 9.5. (r.f. "The Sound of Her Voice")

By the early 24th century, Excelsior-class vessels were standardly equipped with dilithium recompositing and recrystallization technology. The theta-matrix compositor of the time, which later became outdated, was upgraded by the time the Template:ShipClass was introduced. This new recrystallization process was ten times more efficient than that of the Excelsior-class. (TNG: "Family")

Interior design

Main bridge

Located on top of the primary hull, the Excelsior's Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations and coordinates all departmental activities. Due to the age and variety of configurations of the Excelsior-class, bridge configurations can vary from ship to ship.

The Excelsior bridge was a partial set in Star Trek III. In Star Trek VI, the Excelsior bridge was a redress of the Enterprise bridge used in that movie, and was similar in many ways to the NCC-1701-B bridge seen in Star Trek Generations. The set was rebuilt from scratch, with some changes in detail and scale, for the production of "Flashback."

Each appearance of the Captain's ready room has been a partial interior shot, and in all three cases were identified as being the "Captain's ready room" in the script. In particular, the script from "Paradise Lost" simply states that Captain Benteen is "'presumably communicating from her ready room on the Lakota.'"

Background

In the script for Star Trek III, the Excelsior was described as "'a super starship. Her lines are similar to Enterprise, but she is clearly bigger, sleeker, and very new. She sits at her mooring like the new Queen of Space.'" In relation to the Enterprise, "'their size differential is apparent (B-29 to B-17).'"

For the production of Star Trek Generations, the "'producers [...] felt that the Excelsior had seen too many times in previous films; they wanted a brand-new design for the Enterprise-B. This presented a challenge how to maintain continuity and Trek "historical accuracy" while giving the audience a "new" ship. Mike Okuda felt the challenge could be met.'" (Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies)

The modifications designed for the Enterprise-B were created by John Eaves, with the assistance of Okuda. According to Eaves: "'[Mike] pointed out that we needed to design an area that protruded from the ship, so that the energy ribbon could whip out a section while leaving most of the ship intact.'" As a result, Eaves built a section of decks that extended out from the hull, surrounding the deflector dish that tapered gently on the bottom and flared out dramatically on the top. Eaves added that "'the addition of the decks gave the B's belly section a look similar to that of a PBY Catalina (a flying boat of the 1940s)." Ultimately their modifications produced added girth to the design, which increased its overall size, while still retaining the original Excelsior design. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies)

Additional modifications made to the model include the removal of the two fins off the top of the saucer, and the addition of two major impulse engines, one on either side of the existing impulse engines. The nacelles "capped" and a dorsal fin was added to the top, along with the inclusion of a running fin along the outer edge of the nacelles. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Sketchbook: The Movies)

The Enterprise-B/Lakota model (measuring 92½"x32") was listed in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction with an estimated sale price of $3,000 to $5,000; it sold for $110,000 ($132,000 with premium). [1] A much smaller concept model (measuring 14¾"x7"x3") was later sold on It's A Wrap! sale and auction for $511.99. [2] Also sold off on IAW, was an Excelsior- class starship schematic lot, drawn by J. Moll in 1992. [3]

Since the original model could not be returned to its original configuration, a new one was built by Greg Jein when the Excelsior appeared in "Flashback," which was built at a smaller scale with minor differences – even though it was supposedly the same ship as seen earlier. For example, "Flashback" features the only appearances of the USS Excelsior's warp nacelles glowing, although the episode also incorporated footage from Star Trek VI in which the nacelle sides did not glow. This model continued to be reused until a CGIExcelsior was built for later seasons of DS9 and Voyager. The CGI model also incorporated the glowing nacelle sides.

Appearing in both the series premier of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and the series finales of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, the Excelsior has become one of the most frequently seen "guest-star" vessels in Star Trek.

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